The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-30

&c
attempt TO pull up rail or TO move fix
ture on that road, | would put him in the
| penitentiary quicker than you could say
/ Jack Robinson"
Mr. Harrison, of Quitman, thought that
the gentleman from Barlow (Mr FELTON,
had an erroneous construction of The pro
visions of the majority report, which was
! in favor of advertising for bids for the sale
or lease of the Western and Atlantic rail
road The bill did not contemplate
doing anything without the consent
of the next Legislature The
letters of Gov. Brown and the testimony
given in before the investigating committee
sixteen years ago, had nothing to do with
the question. He said that there was moth
ing in the statement that the sale of the road
would injure the public school system.
BROWNS CLAIM A BLANKET.
Mr.. Glenn, of Whitfield, said that he
thought the majority and minority reports
were both premature. He thought the val
uation that would be put on the property if
the majority report was carried out would
tend to injure the valuation of the prop
erty. The road was now in the possession
of the lessess who have a claim for better
ments. The question of whether this claim
was a good one, and would hold, was not
now to be considered. The outside world
would not want TO make very high bid in
the face of the claim for betterments;
the bill practically gave the lessees a cor
ner on the bidding for the property. The
bids bind no one, but it puts value on the
property No bidder will give much for
the property until it is shown what it con-
sists of.
Mr.. Huff, of Bib, offered the following
amendment:
THAT at no time, nor under any circum-
stances, shall the Western and Atlantic
railroad ever be sold or leased to any person
or company of persons, until all ques-
tions of disputes as to betterments be-
tween the State and the present
lessees shall have been fully and
completely disposed of so that when the
said railroad property is offered for sale or
lease. the State shall be in a condition to of
fer the same entirely free from all incum-
brances of any kind and chararter. If no
such settlement can be made be-
tween the State and the present lessees
before the present lease contract expires
then no sale or new lease shall be made until
the expiration of the present law, at which
time the State will come into full and COM
plete possession and control of the road, and
will then be prepared to sell or lease the
same to the best possible advantage"
NOT IN CONDITION.
Mr.. Watt, of Stewart, said the property
was not now in condition to be either sold or
leased. There was quite an amount of prop
erty scattered along the line, and located in
Chattanooga, not necessary to the road, and
which was the property of the State, that
could be either sold or leased. He was in
favor of stripping the road of all property
not necessary to its usefulness and
disposing Of it. There was no
necessity of either selling or leasing the
road at this time. He did not think that
the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia
would injure the Western and Atlantic
railroad. The grade of the East Tennessee,
Virginia and Georgia was "a degrees to the
mile, and on the Western and Atlantic the
grade was much less. Any man knew
what this meant in hauling heavy
tonnage The Western and Atlantic was
now shorter by thirteen miles than the East
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia, and it was
on record where the roadmaster of the West
ern and Atlantic had stated that the mile
age of the Western and Atlantic could be
made eighteen miles less than that of the
East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia by
slightly changing the route, and at the same
time do away with six out of the eight
bridges now on the road.
In the afternoon hour the report of the
joint committee appointed to inquire into
the business before the Legislature with the
view of fixing day of adjournment, was
read. The committee reported a resolution
proposing the fixing of Oct. 20, as the day
for final adjournment.
The unfinished business reported was:
House bills and resolutions, 6lS; Senate bills
and resolutions, 1853. OF this number 275
are in the hands of the committees. The
report was received and the resolution
adopted.
The deficiency appropriation bill passed.
The bill of Mr.. Adams, of Greene, for
the relief of Miles G. Copeland. tax collec-
tor, passed.
The bill of Mr. Arnheim, of Dougherty,
to incorporate the Albany Street Railroad
Company passed.
A resolution to hold night sessions Mon
days, Wednesdays and Fridays, commencing
next week, was adopted.